


Fighting for a Dream

by CheshireCity



Series: 12 Days of Christmas 2015 [4]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anbu Uchiha Sasuke, Christmas, Fluff, Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, Holidays, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 21:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5470619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireCity/pseuds/CheshireCity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A surprise attack at an alliance ceremony between Konoha and Suna leave Sasuke and Naruto rattled. Protecting not only his people and his Hokage but also his lover, Sasuke - a member of Anbu - tracks down the threat only to be injured in the line of duty. Thankful for his service and anxious about his partner, Naruto checks in on him at the hospital, resolving to make his holidays special.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fighting for a Dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chocolatemoosey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolatemoosey/gifts).



            The space beneath Hokage Rock was packed, civilians circling around a large stage, eagerly awaiting the start of the ceremony. It was a big deal in Konoha – an official alliance with Suna and the fifth Kazekage meant that trade, agriculture, and technology would be shared between the two hidden villages. It marked an end of isolationism that could allow both of their countries to flourish.

            The ceremony had been an idea put forth by the Hokage: he was to make an opening speech, followed by smaller speeches from representatives of Suna. Afterwards, they would shake hands and doves would be released and then there would be a huge, village-wide party. There were celebratory banners and balloons hanging from every building.

            But not everyone was so happy about the dealings. While the people of Konoha seemed more than content to end their period of solitude, neighboring villages seemed to feel that they should have been first. Frankly, the situation made Sasuke a nervous wreck.

            He stood silently behind the podium, arm to arm with other Anbu. His hands clasped before him, he trained his eyes on as many faces in the crowd as he could find. They were becoming indistinguishable in the sea of movement, one excited child looking like another, one adult merging into the next. It was dizzying, as well as nerve-wracking. It was his job to be on the lookout for signs of danger or disturbance and deal with them as quickly as possible. The Hokage’s safety and the safety of his people depended upon it.

            As Naruto came into his line of vision, the swell of the crowd rose to deafening levels, full of cheers and cries of excitement. There was no hiding that he had become a popular Hokage with his people. Sasuke smiled beneath the obscurity of his mask – shaped like a fox’s face, a sign of his allegiance to his Hokage. Watching the man take the stage, he increased his attentions.

            After the crowd had quieted down, Naruto began his speech, his words funneling through Sasuke’s ears as he focused on the attendees. There was so much going on to catch his eye – flowing banners, waving parade floats, children crawling atop shoulders, the damn breeze moving the trees. And there… something wasn’t right, just to the left of the corner market and behind the sign for Amaguriama. A glinting of sunlight reflecting off of… something.

            Roused, he whispered to his attentive comrades, not moving a muscle. “2 o’clock,” he ushered, drawing their attentions.

            “9 o’clock,” the woman next to him added.

            The hair on the back of Sasuke’s neck began to rise. Just how many threats were they facing? He glanced to Naruto, still placid in his Kage robes and finishing up his piece. There was clapping as he concluded and Sasuke’s line of vision broke. Cursing softly, he strained to find the targets in the crowd, but they had melted away. The representatives from Suna were taking the stage, Naruto stepping back to provide them space.

            It all happened at once.

            From three different locations loud explosions rang out, dust and smoke billowing out from the epicenters. There was screaming and a sudden surge of movement and people began to run in opposite directions. Sasuke ran to the stage, feeling his comrades on his heels. Dragging his friend from the platform he shielded his body, ducking them down around the back side of the platform and passing him off to another waiting Anbu. The Suna delegates followed, ushered along by the retreating ops. Naruto looked over his shoulder and Sasuke nodded briefly, once.

            Springing into action, he dove for the first blast site. Testing the air, he determined that no gases had been used, poisonous, hallucinogenic, or otherwise. The ground below was hardly damaged, save for some charring. “Flashbangs?” he wondered aloud. “A distraction.” Then, to his comrades, “The Hokage Residence! There’s more of them. Get the military police force to cover crowd control.”

            “I’ll track the distractors,” another shouted, heading down the main road. Nodding, Sasuke took off in the opposite direction, running through the narrow streets to the place he’d come to know so well. His heart was racing. He had feared for something like this. Not knowing what the enemy was thinking was enough to drive him crazy. Was he running into a trap? Had he under evaluated the situation?

            Another ninja came up beside him, running at equal pace. His silver hair spilled out to one side and he shot Sasuke a look in place of a smile. “Hope you don’t mind,” Kakashi drawled. “I sort of care about the kid.”

            “Once an Anbu,”

            “Always an Anbu. Yeah, you know how it is.”

            “You think he’s in danger?”

            “If not, he’ll put himself there.”

            “Who do you think we’re up against?”

            “Could be anyone – we still have legendary disputes with the Lands of Lightning and Earth. It’s a crapshoot at this point.”

            “Shit. Boost me.”

            They helped one another up the side of their obstacle, a retaining wall for the special residence of the Hokage. The doors had been barred and locked shut in response to the attack. Sliding down the other side, they sprinted across the grounds to find two out-of-place individuals with strange masks. They were jet black with cruel red lines painting out a pointed face – that of a laughing fox.

            “They’re mocking us,” Sasuke growled, bristling in anger.

            “So… right or left?” Kakashi asked casually, dropping into a fighting stance.

            “Right, I guess.”

            “Ganbatte.”

            Sasuke exploded from the ground, drawing his sword and slashing at the assumed assassin. They sprang away in the knick of time, flipping backwards and landing in a catlike crouch. Clicking his tongue, the Anbu zigzagged forward, just barely reaching the enemy before they sprung away again. This time, however, they began a series of hand seals, uprooting a tree and tossing it at the Uchiha.

            Ducking, he nearly avoided the projectile, ignoring the stinging pain as a few stray branches tore at his skin. He sprang after the fox once more, backing them up against the main building. Sensing their danger, they fled, using parkour to quickly climb the tiered structure. Racing after them Sasuke swore, watching as they descended over the high wall and into the city below.

            Keeping in pursuit the Anbu made some seals of his own, ripping up the ground and creating plenty of obstacles to trip over. The fox didn’t slow, jumping from one raised stone to the next, bounding ahead. ‘ _Damn them,’_ he thought, looking for anything that could help him. He wasn’t supposed to cause any harm to the village if he could help it. After all, those expenses were put on the Anbu’s collective tab and half of it came from their paychecks as incentive to protect their home.

            Scanning ahead, he saw the impressive rise of Hokage Rock towering nearer and nearer above them. ‘ _They’re heading for the stairs,’_ he realized, finding the stone pathway carved into the side of the mountain. He came almost in striking range of the fox as they approached the site, swinging his sword in a broad arc and catching a trace of fabric. ‘ _Not enough to wound,’_ he grimaced.

            Gaining a burst of energy, he increased his speed, trying his best to reserve his chakra. He regretted the fact that he couldn’t use any of the signature tricks he’d learned along the way, nonetheless his sharingan. The whole point of being among the Anbu ranks was to remain anonymous – such careless acts would only get him singled out and assassinated. He’d be no good to Naruto like that.

            Remembering Kakashi, Sasuke sheathed his sword, readying his hands to summon a jutsu. Forming the familiar shapes he felt a prickle of energy form in his left palm, a strong crackle issuing forth as the sound of a thousand birds rang through the air. Target in range, he rushed forward, issuing the charged chidori with as much strength as he could muster.

            The attack burst from his hand, tearing through the enemy’s side and colliding with the side of the mountain. There was a rumble, and the first pebble started to fall. Grasping their side in obvious pain, the fox stopped in their tracks, looking straight up. Then, in a sudden flurry, their hands began to move, summoning forth boulders from the mountainside, hurtling them forward.

            Sasuke’s mind raced, the rocks coming closer. He couldn’t afford to lose this target. _‘Quick – what do I do? What would Naruto do?’_

            Yell.

            “Oi! Nogitsune!”

            The fox turned in alarm, frozen in place. Just long enough for the shuriken to crack through their mask, hitting the forehead dead center. The fox stumbled, then fell backwards, dead. The boulders shook overhead, then cascaded down. Sasuke barely had time to swear before the first one struck.

 

* * *

 

            “…uke.”

            There was a groan, low and punctuating.

            “Sa…uke.”

            It sounded again and he recognized it as his own.

            “Sasuke!”

            Blearily, he opened his eyes, seeing nothing but sheer white. The world blurred for a moment, everything seeming to have a halo around it. “Owww,” he moaned, trying to will his sight to return to him. Slowly colors bled into images and he could make out the yellow blob of hair that was his best friend. “Naruto?”

            “The one and only!” the Hokage announced. Sasuke could hear the grin in his voice. He smiled despite himself. His temples were throbbing.

            “What’s going on?” he asked. His tongue felt like dry cardboard in his mouth. “Are you okay? You hurt?”

            “ _I’m_ fine,” Naruto returned, growing concerned. “It’s you I’m worried about. You took a really big hit – I seriously owe you one.”

            “Don’t be stupid,” the Anbu sniffed. “It’s only my job.”

            “Yeah, yeah,” the blond laughed. “I think you sort of like me.”

            “Cocky.”

            “I just know better,” Naruto teased. “Here, you want some water or something?” he asked, moving towards a standing tray. Perched on top was a small Styrofoam cup, presumably full of water. A little straw bent over the top.

            “Am I in the hospital?”

            Naruto paused, dumbfounded expression now fully in focus. “Where else did you expect to be after something like that?” he blinked. “I mean, they told me you were straight up buried under all those rocks. It’s a wonder it didn’t paralyze you or worse.” Naruto shook his head, bringing the cup over to his friend’s lips. “Here, drink.”

            Sasuke did as he was bid, instantly feeling relief as cold and wet flooded his mouth. He hadn’t realized just how raw his throat had felt. Finishing the drink, he furrowed his brow, looking down at himself. He was in a hospital robe, some flimsy mint green thing that probably didn’t even cover his ass. A blanket covered him up to the waist and an IV was atop his hand.

            “I feel like shit,” he declared. The pain was starting to creep back up on him.

            “You should be getting your pain meds soon,” Naruto informed him, scooting a chair beside the bed. “They’ll put ‘em in your IV, so no worries.”

            “What happened to me?”

            “Can you not feel it?” the blond asked worriedly.

            “Not really – I’m kind of out of it.”

            “Well… one of your legs is broken. They don’t have to elevate it or anything, but it was pretty gnarly. The bone popped right –”

            “Don’t want to hear it.”

            “Okaaay, well. Other than that, you fractured a few ribs and managed to crack your head open. Nothing that won’t heal, but I can’t imagine it feels too pleasant. You got lucky.”

            “I think there’s still blood in my hair.”

            “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

            “It itches.”

            “Sorry, man.”

            “They didn’t have to shave it, did they?” Sasuke asked, suddenly worried.

            “Huh?”

            “My hair. They didn’t shave it off or anything, right?”

            Naruto laughed, debating messing with his long-time friend. “Naw,” he finally answered truthfully. “It’s just how you left it. They did have to put in some stitches, but nothing got shaved off.”

            “I feel like a mummy.”

            “That’s just because your head is all wrapped up,” the Hokage chuckled. “Those’ll probably be off in a day or two; it’s not really serious, they just wanted to be careful.”

            “Guess the mednins weren’t much help?”

            “To be honest, they were a little tired after the commotion at the ceremony,” Naruto returned quietly. “No one died, thanks chiefly to you. But there were several injuries because of all the commotion.”

            “Sorry it had to go like that.”

            “Not your fault,” the new Hokage sighed. “Like I said, thanks to you the threat was neutralized. I couldn’t ask for more than that.”

            “At least it was memorable?”

            “Ugh, that’s one way to put it,” the blond still didn’t stop smiling. “Hey, you need to get some rest.”

            “Not tired.”

            “You will be,” Naruto promised right as the nurse came in.

            “Hey there Uchiha-san,” she smiled, beginning to fiddle with his IV bags. “How’re you feeling?”

            “Could be better.”

            “Alright, well we’re going to get you all squared away. You feeling any pain?”

            “Probably not as much as I should be, but yeah.”

            “Well that’ll be no problem in a minute. You page me if you need anything,” she added, pointing to a button on the inside of his hospital bed. With that she bustled out of the room.

            “Not tired,” Sasuke insisted.

            “Okay, you keep saying that but you look pretty –” And Sasuke was dead asleep. Naruto shook his head with a smile and rose from his seat.

            “Sleep tight,” he mumbled, pressing a quick kiss to the other man’s bandaged brow. The nature of their relationship was highly secret, and he didn’t plan on fucking that up for either of them. Things had already been tense after Sasuke had returned to Konoha after his time away. Given his antagonistic nature and his past associations with missing-nin, he wasn’t exactly welcomed back with open arms.

            Still, Sasuke had persevered, doing as he usually did, mostly just ignoring everyone around him. He continued with his studies from where he had left off, quickly excelling through the ranks. His time away had changed him, and he had to relearn many of his techniques to be more ethically correct. This annoyed him, but he complied with a bitten tongue.

            Finally he had graduated, the oldest in his class, but with honors. Tests had never been his strong suit – usually given his past beliefs that he already knew everything and didn’t need to bother with studying – but he had buckled down and worked harder than others gave him credit for. Kakashi had come to the graduation, and Naruto was pretty sure he saw the man crying. It warmed his heart to see Team 7 reunited again.

            Sasuke’s next decision shocked everyone – he elected to become a part of Anbu. Tsunade had taken his application suspiciously, uncertain how to proceed with someone of his dubious background. There was no doubting the man’s skill – he could probably beat just about anyone in Konoha in a fight, fair or otherwise. It was just a matter of trustworthiness. But Sakura had put in her vote of confidence, and the Hokage had listened despite her personal reservations. With that, Sasuke was made an Anbu.

            He trained hard over the next few years, maturing into a lithe and strong man. His hair had begun to get shaggy, and, finding it constantly in his way, he took to tying it back at the nape of his neck. Naruto never wanted to point it out, but he looked increasingly like Itachi.

            When he finished his secret ops training he was awarded with the special tattoo that would forever mark him as an agent of Konoha. He proudly bore it on his left bicep, wishing he could show it off to those around him. “Here,” it seemed to say. “This is someone loyal to his village, someone to respect and to trust.” But Sasuke had to keep it to himself and he took to wearing long sleeve shirts, even in the summer.

            “I miss t-shirts,” he said offhandedly to Naruto one day. The blond just laughed and shook his head.

            “That’s why I could never be Anbu,” was all he said.

            Naruto himself had taken a surprising path. Having finished up his own studies, he had relatively settled down and taken what was little more than an office job. Working under the department that served the Hokage, he announced that he needed to first understand the workings of the government and gain an appreciation for them if he was ever to lead the people of Konoha. This impressed a lot of people and he quickly made headway in his position.

            While he still was the first to volunteer for missions, Naruto came to find himself department head of security, dealing with crisis’s both domestic and foreign. Responsible for organizing events and dispatching security for the Hokage, he was also put in direct link with the Anbu and their heads of staff. It was during this time that a relationship blossomed between he and Sasuke.

            One night, after they had made love, they laid in the stillness of the blond’s room, listening to the fan and the cicadas outside. Naruto rolled over, cradling his boyfriend’s body. He had never noticed before just how porcelain pale Sasuke’s skin was: how milky and flawless. Truly, he had developed into a handsome man, dark lashes shadowing dark eyes. He played with his long hair thoughtfully.

            “Why did you decide to join Anbu?” he finally asked. The question had been on his lips for years. He didn’t really expect an answer.

            Sasuke blinked slowly and turned to face him. “You always said you wanted to become Hokage,” he began. “That was always your dream. But me? I never had anything like that. I wanted to avenge my family, to kill. I was naïve, a kid. It was a fool’s errand. When it came down to it, I just wanted to feel safe at the end of the day. But I didn’t have a dream for myself.” He went quiet for a moment, contemplating his thoughts. It was hard to say out loud. “I guess… that’s why I wanted to join Anbu: I never had a dream, but I wanted to protect yours.”

            Naruto felt his heart pound against his chest, swelling with emotion. Passionately he kissed the other man, tangling up in the sheets all over again.

            Six months later, Tsunade had approached the blond, looking thoughtful. “You’ve really developed into quite an impressive ninja,” she began. “Jiraiya would be so proud of the man you’ve become.”

            Naruto nearly teared up at the mention of his old mentor. The words he cradled in his heart.

            “I wanted to tell you before I made this public,” she continued, hands clasped. “But I’m stepping down from the position of Hokage. As you know, it really wasn’t my desire to take this position in the first place,” she admitted with a laugh. “But I’ve found that I really loved the time I had looking out for everybody. It’s just… I think it’s time that someone else to take the reins, you know? I was only ever just a bridge between the fourth and sixth. And…” she took a steadying breath, grasping the blond’s hands in her own. “I want you to be that sixth.”

            Naruto took a whole thirty seconds to process what she had said. “You mean… you want me… to be Hokage?” he breathed.

            Tsunade nodded, tears forming in her eyes. “No one has wanted this position more than you, and I want you to enjoy it while you’re still young. You remind me so much… well, I just want you to have this. You’ve worked so hard and matured so much.”

            “Thank you,” Naruto gaped, breathless. “Thank… holy… holy cow… holy… I’m… I’m gonna be _Hokage?_ ”

            Tsunade laughed, nodding again.

            “I did it.”

            “You did.”

            “I… ” and that was about all Naruto could utter before he burst out in blubbering, happy tears. The formal announcement was made at the end of the week and Naruto began the long process of preparing his succession.

            Naturally, the first person he broke the news to was Sasuke. The two hugged tightly, unable to believe that it had finally come to this. “What are we going to do now?” Sasuke had asked him softly.

            It was public knowledge that there were certain things that a Hokage could and could not do. For one, a Hokage could name their replacement at any time. They could also have a family during their service, regardless of their gender. They could not, however, make the executive decision to go to war (there was a council for fairness), and they could not, under any circumstances, become intimately involved in members of the secret ops.

            Naruto just looked at him with wide eyes, “I am horrible at keeping secrets.”

            But they had managed, somehow. Holding back after meetings, taking back doors and secret pathways. No longer could they afford casual hookups at one another’s homes or enjoy dinners made by each other’s hand. Everything had a façade of business: clinical and unattached. It was miserable, but it was a risk they were willing to take.

            “I can’t quit this,” Sasuke had told him, slipping on his shirt. “Anbu has given me a purpose I’ve never had before. I’m doing it for you, you know.”

            “I know,” the blond sighed from the bed. “I just hate having to hide like this. I just want everyone to know how much you mean to me.”

            “You’re embarrassing.”

            “But you understand?”

            “I do.”

            Naruto sighed, reverie behind him. Petting the strands of Sasuke’s hair that poked out of his wrappings, he left the hospital room. His mind was racing. They had been through so much together and had so little time to express what that had meant to each of them. They were lucky they had the shared history of Team 7 together, else their closeness would be called into question. He wanted to do something special, even if it wasn’t much.

            Taking the stairs two at a time, he made his way to the nurse’s station. As he expected, Sakura was on her break, talking with one of her friends in the secretary’s station.

            “Naru – Hokage,” she greeted with a small laugh.

            “Oh come on, Sakura,” the blond pouted. “You know you don’t have to stand on decorum for me.”

            “It’s still nice to try, you know. How’s Sasuke doing?”

            “As well as he can be, I guess,” Naruto sighed, scratching the back of his neck. “I mean, he got out lucky, but he’ll probably be in recovery for a while, what with that broken leg of his and everything. I’m guessing you were one of the ones who helped patch him up?”

            “Of course,” the woman chirped. “Although I did spend a lot of time helping take care of all the civilians that had to come in. Thankfully there was nothing major.”

            “Jeez…” the Hokage sighed, looking forlorn. “Well, you can guarantee that there will be a public announcement made tomorrow. I’ll have to talk with the heads of staff about sending Anbu out to scour the perimeters. Hopefully this isn’t the beginning of some sort of organization. We’ll have to see.”

            Sakura wanted to console her friend, but she knew better than most how probable the chances were. She worried her lip thinking of all the people she’d need to care for. “I’ll make sure that the hospital orders extra supplies,” she said thoughtfully. “Better to be prepared, no matter what happens.”

            “Thanks Sakura,” the other returned. “Man, I just need to put it out of my head for the time being. No use fretting, right?

“Right.”

“So, hey, this may seem random, but does the hospital have any decorations?”

            “Decorations?”

            “Yeah, like for the holidays? I wanted to do something for Sasuke.”

            “You want to decorate Sasuke’s hospital room?” Sakura asked incredulously. “He’s like the least festive person I know, are you sure?”

            “Well it’s Christmas Eve tomorrow…” the blond trailed off. The mednin nodded slightly, understanding. She was one of the only people they had trusted with their secret, save for Kakashi, who had found out by complete mistake. The man had just shook his head and pulled his headband over both eyes.

            “I don’t even want to know,” he had said, walking blindly back into the hall. He’d never looked at them quite the same after that.

            “Let me see what I can scrounge up,” Sakura returned. “I know we’ve got some things for when he have pediatric patients, but we’ve been especially lucky this year with training accidents. Our mednin teams have been improving drastically, so there’s rarely any need for people to stay overnight anymore.” Pride and enthusiasm filled her voice; she was the most prodigious healer after Tsunade, and knowledge of her abilities had reached far and wide. If it wasn’t for her, the hospital wouldn’t be half as effective as it was.

            “You’re an angel,” Naruto grinned.

            “Alright, you goof,” the woman laughed. “Follow me.”

  

* * *

 

 

            When Sasuke came back to, he had a million questions swimming around his head. How many attackers had there been? How many injured? Who had taken part in the defensive? Was Kakashi okay? Were any of the attackers captured? Who was interrogating them? Who were there? From what land, what village? Why the fox masks? Did it mean something? Were they an organization? What did they want with Konoha? Or with the Hokage? Or Suna?

            He groaned, trying to roll over before remembering hazily that he wasn’t in his bed at home, but rather in a somewhat uncomfortable hospital bed in the middle of the village. He resented the fact that he couldn’t switch his brain off from work mode. While he had always been anal retentive and sort of perfectionist, the training he’d received for Anbu had only made him more so. There was no stopping his train of thought once he got going.

            He felt so ignorant, and so helpless. What he wanted more than anything was to be back out in the field, finding out all the answers and holding those attackers responsible for their crimes. He knew he wasn’t much of one to talk given his track record, but he’d learned an appreciation for justice where it was due.

            He regretted not asking Naruto more about the situation. With a broken leg, there was no way he’d heal in time to take care of the mission in person. At the very least he could parse through paperwork and sort intel. It was better than nothing, he figured.

            There was a shifting of fabric, and Sasuke became aware that someone was in the room with him. Still on high alert from his racing thoughts, he peeked through his lashes, trying to catch a glimpse of the person while maintaining the image of restfulness. Instead of some assailant in a fox mask he saw the eager and expectant face of his boyfriend.

            With a sigh he dropped his act, fully opening his eyes and adopting a slight scowl. “What do you look so pleased about?” he asked.

            Only to receive a face full of… something.

            “Is that… confetti?”

            “It’s _snow_ ,” Naruto corrected enthusiastically.

            “No, no. It’s paper. I’ve seen snow.”

            “Come on, Sasuke, use your imagination.”

            “My what?”

            “Look!” Naruto beamed, gesturing to the whole of the room. The Anbu blinked, taking it all in. He wasn’t quite sure how the blond had pulled it off, or how the hell he could manage to sleep through all of the decoration. He must be slipping in his abilities.

            He shot the IV bag a suspicious look. ‘ _That or there’s morphine in there; shit that’s strong.’_

            The room was positively covered in colorful paper. White confetti – or ‘snow’ as Naruto had called it – caked the floor and cut outs of snowflakes hung from the ceiling with string and tape. _‘The hell? Did he bring a ladder in here?’_ Sasuke wondered, cocking his head at the height differential.

            Red, white, and green links of paper formed a chain that snaked around the perimeter of the room. There were even paper snowmen taped to the insides of the window, along with what Sasuke assumed were supposed to be reindeer but actually just looked like demented dogs.

            “What…?” he blinked. “Sakura’s going to kill you for the mess, you know.”

            “Actually? She helped me set all this up,” the blond returned, looking bashful. “Nice of her, isn’t it?”

            “Incredibly,” Sasuke hummed. “So what’s all this about, hmn?”

            “Well…” the Hokage faltered, looking to his feet. “Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. I thought it would be pretty lame to be in the hospital during the holidays. And… well, it’s not like I can visit you, not with everything that’s gone on in the last several hours. I just thought… maybe we could make our own Christmas. Just you and me.”

            “Romantic,” the Anbu smirked, nodding to the decorations. “How long did all this take, anyway?”

            “Shorter than you’d think,” Naruto laughed sheepishly. “I sort of cheated and made clones to get it done faster.”

            “Typical.”

            “Whaaat?”

            “Nothing, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke smiled without malice. The childhood insult had become sort of a word of affection between the two of them. Naruto just laughed and pulled his chair closer to his friend’s bedside. It had become like a routine for them.

            “Merry Christmas, Sasuke.”

            “It’s not even –”

            “I know, I know.”

            A sigh. “Merry Christmas, Naruto. You’re… sort of amazing, you know?”

            “Huh?”

            “Doing all this? Going out of your way? It’s so like you. You’ve got an entire village to maintain – hell, a whole country, really. And where are you? Stuck at my bedside and pretending it’s Christmas.”

            “Well, I kind of love you, you know,” Naruto smiled softly, resting his hand atop Sasuke’s bandaged one.

            “Yeah,” the Anbu laughed. “I kind of love you, too.”


End file.
